Silver State Health Services Focuses on the Role of Federally Qualified Health Centers in Refocusing Nevada's Healthcare System
Las Vegas, NV, August 21, 2017 (Newswire.com) - Only a few years ago, the state of Nevada was plagued by preventable infections, injuries, and deaths, caused by a focus on for-profit medicine, inadequate hospital staffing, and subpar oversight. While the Nevadan State government has taken measures to address some of these problems, many issues still persist. In 2013, state regulations exposed a multitude of cases in which for-profit institutions shuffled their uninsured or under insured patients to the overcrowded University Medical Center, one of Las Vegas' only public hospitals. In this environment, the city’s most vulnerable populations had precious few options for receiving potentially life-saving treatment.
“Silver State Health Services, Nevada’s newest Federally Qualified Health Center, hopes to change all that," says SSHS, CEO Ryan Linden. As a Federally Qualified Health Center, Silver State offers services to all persons, regardless of their ability to pay. They operate on a sliding scale fee program, which evaluates a number of characteristics to determine a patient’s real income, so their bill (if there is one) is adjusted individually to what each patient can reasonably afford. To date, Silver State Health Services has yet to request any form of compensation from its current patients, unlike the overwhelming majority of Nevada’s health care providers.
Silver State Health Services, Nevada's newest Federally Qualified Health Center, hopes to change all that.
Ryan Linden, CEO, Silver State Health Services
For those in need of care, this means that an FQHC will treat patients for most common health concerns, and will follow-up with to ensure that those concerns continue to improve. Typical primary care experiences with for-profit institutions involved being examined, prescribed medication, and left on their own to follow the doctor’s instructions. This model is perfectly sufficient for many patients, but for the homeless or the mentally ill, the extra mile that an FQHC like Silver State will go for its patients can be literally life-saving”.
In the current ecosystem, many of those who are unable to afford preventative health-care go without treatment of any kind, and eventually rely on the emergency room when their illness or injury can be ignored no longer. The bills from these encounters are reflected in higher taxes and inflated insurance premiums for everyone. Federally Qualified Health Centers exist in part to alleviate this issue. By offering preventative primary care to anyone in need, centers like Silver State reduce not only the suffering of their patients, but also the economic burden placed on the system as a whole.
As Nevada continues to improve their health-care system over the coming years, Silver State Health Services, and businesses like it, will play an important role. However, this process will take time, and many are already in desperate need of help. For those people, organizations like Silver State are vital, and few and far between. Silver State’s leaders hope that their example will inspire others, and that more clinics like their own will emerge in the future, but for now, their doors are open, and their dedicated staff stand ready to help all who come calling.
Silver State Health Services offers appointments via their official website or by phone at 702-471-0420.
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About Silver State Health Services:
Silver State Health Services, located just north of Sahara at 1909 S. Jones Blvd. serving Las Vegas and surrounding areas offers primary care, mental health services, community services, and social services. Silver State strives to improve the health and well-being of homeless persons and others in need. They are partners of The National Healthcare for the Homeless Council. Social workers at Silver State Health Center are focused on assisting patients with critical needs such as housing, transportation, food, and much more.
Contact Info:
Ryan Linden
CEO, Silver State Health Services
702.471.0420
contactus@silverstatehealth.org
Source: Silver State Health Services